For nearly 10 years, Ben Rhodes saw almost everything that happened at the center of the Obama administration - first as a speechwriter, then as deputy national security advisor, and finally as a multipurpose aide and close collaborator. He started every morning in the Oval Office with the President’s Daily Brief, traveled the world with Obama, and was at the center of some of the most consequential and controversial moments of the presidency. Now, he tells the full story of his partnership with a man who also happened to be a historic president of the United States.

5 out of 5 stars

A work for posterity, not tomorrow's talking points

By
Josh
on
06-14-18

The Perfectionists

How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World

By:
Simon Winchester

Narrated by:
Simon Winchester

Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
348

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
317

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
308

The New York Times best-selling author traces the development of technology from the Industrial Age to the Digital Age to explore the single component crucial to advancement - precision - in a superb history that is both an homage and a warning for our future.

5 out of 5 stars

Somewhat less than perfect

By
enya keshet
on
06-19-18

On Tyranny

Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century

By:
Timothy Snyder

Narrated by:
Timothy Snyder

Length: 1 hr and 47 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,550

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,304

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,286

The Founding Fathers tried to protect us from the threat they knew, the tyranny that overcame ancient democracy. Today, our political order faces new threats, not unlike the totalitarianism of the 20th century. We are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism, or communism. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience.

5 out of 5 stars

Required reading

By
A. R. S.
on
04-17-17

Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant

By:
Ulysses S. Grant

Narrated by:
Robin Field

Length: 29 hrs and 37 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
532

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
441

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
442

Among the autobiographies of great military figures, Ulysses S. Grant’s is certainly one of the finest, and it is arguably the most notable literary achievement of any American president: a lucid, compelling, and brutally honest chronicle of triumph and failure. From his frontier boyhood, to his heroics in battle, to the grinding poverty from which the Civil War ironically rescued him, these memoirs are a mesmerizing, deeply moving account of a brilliant man told with great courage.

4 out of 5 stars

Lived up to expectations

By
H. Connelly
on
04-20-13

FDR

By:
Jean Edward Smith

Narrated by:
Marc Cashman

Length: 32 hrs and 52 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
656

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
519

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
521

One of today's premier biographers has written a modern, comprehensive, indeed ultimate book on the epic life of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. This is a portrait painted in broad strokes and fine details. We see how Roosevelt's restless energy, fierce intellect, personal magnetism, and ability to project effortless grace permitted him to master countless challenges throughout his life.

5 out of 5 stars

wow-

By
Thomas
on
09-07-08

No Ordinary Time

Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II

By:
Doris Kearns Goodwin

Narrated by:
Nelson Runger

Length: 39 hrs and 14 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,109

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,002

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
998

No Ordinary Time describes how the isolationist and divided United States of 1940 was unified under the extraordinary leadership of Franklin Roosevelt to become the preeminent economic and military power in the world.

5 out of 5 stars

Great at 1.5 speed

By
Brett
on
01-04-13

The World as It Is

A Memoir of the Obama White House

By:
Ben Rhodes

Narrated by:
Ben Rhodes,
Mark Deakins

Length: 15 hrs and 45 mins

Unabridged

Overall

5 out of 5 stars
857

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
781

Story

5 out of 5 stars
775

For nearly 10 years, Ben Rhodes saw almost everything that happened at the center of the Obama administration - first as a speechwriter, then as deputy national security advisor, and finally as a multipurpose aide and close collaborator. He started every morning in the Oval Office with the President’s Daily Brief, traveled the world with Obama, and was at the center of some of the most consequential and controversial moments of the presidency. Now, he tells the full story of his partnership with a man who also happened to be a historic president of the United States.

5 out of 5 stars

A work for posterity, not tomorrow's talking points

By
Josh
on
06-14-18

The Perfectionists

How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World

By:
Simon Winchester

Narrated by:
Simon Winchester

Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
348

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
317

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
308

The New York Times best-selling author traces the development of technology from the Industrial Age to the Digital Age to explore the single component crucial to advancement - precision - in a superb history that is both an homage and a warning for our future.

5 out of 5 stars

Somewhat less than perfect

By
enya keshet
on
06-19-18

On Tyranny

Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century

By:
Timothy Snyder

Narrated by:
Timothy Snyder

Length: 1 hr and 47 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,550

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,304

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,286

The Founding Fathers tried to protect us from the threat they knew, the tyranny that overcame ancient democracy. Today, our political order faces new threats, not unlike the totalitarianism of the 20th century. We are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism, or communism. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience.

5 out of 5 stars

Required reading

By
A. R. S.
on
04-17-17

Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant

By:
Ulysses S. Grant

Narrated by:
Robin Field

Length: 29 hrs and 37 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
532

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
441

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
442

Among the autobiographies of great military figures, Ulysses S. Grant’s is certainly one of the finest, and it is arguably the most notable literary achievement of any American president: a lucid, compelling, and brutally honest chronicle of triumph and failure. From his frontier boyhood, to his heroics in battle, to the grinding poverty from which the Civil War ironically rescued him, these memoirs are a mesmerizing, deeply moving account of a brilliant man told with great courage.

4 out of 5 stars

Lived up to expectations

By
H. Connelly
on
04-20-13

FDR

By:
Jean Edward Smith

Narrated by:
Marc Cashman

Length: 32 hrs and 52 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
656

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
519

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
521

One of today's premier biographers has written a modern, comprehensive, indeed ultimate book on the epic life of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. This is a portrait painted in broad strokes and fine details. We see how Roosevelt's restless energy, fierce intellect, personal magnetism, and ability to project effortless grace permitted him to master countless challenges throughout his life.

5 out of 5 stars

wow-

By
Thomas
on
09-07-08

No Ordinary Time

Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II

By:
Doris Kearns Goodwin

Narrated by:
Nelson Runger

Length: 39 hrs and 14 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,109

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,002

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
998

No Ordinary Time describes how the isolationist and divided United States of 1940 was unified under the extraordinary leadership of Franklin Roosevelt to become the preeminent economic and military power in the world.

5 out of 5 stars

Great at 1.5 speed

By
Brett
on
01-04-13

Publisher's Summary

Robert H. Jackson was one of the giants of the Roosevelt era: an Attorney General, a still revered Supreme Court Justice and, not least important, one of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's close friends and advisers. His intimate memoir of FDR, written in the early 1950s before Jackson's untimely death, has remained unpublished for fifty years. Here is that newly discovered memoir.

Written with skill and grace, this is truly a unique account of the personality, conduct, greatness of character, and common humanity of "that man in the White House," as outraged conservatives called FDR. Jackson simply but eloquently provides an insider's view of Roosevelt's presidency, including such crucial events as FDR's Court-packing plan, his battles with corporate America, his decision to seek a third term, and his bold move to aid Britain in 1940 with American destroyers. He also offers an intimate personal portrait of Roosevelt--on fishing trips, in late-night poker games, or approving legislation while eating breakfast in bed, where he routinely began his workday. We meet a president who is far-sighted but nimble in attacking the problems at hand; principled but flexible; charismatic and popular but unafraid to pick fights, take stands, and when necessary, make enemies. That Man is not simply a valuable historical document, but an engaging and insightful look at one of the most remarkable men in American history. In reading this memoir, we gain not only a new appreciation for Roosevelt, but also admiration for Jackson, who emerges as both a public servant of great integrity and skill and a wry, shrewd, and fair-minded observer of politics at the highest level.

Interesting perspective on FDR, lousy narration

That Man is somewhat an assemblage from a collection of oral history recordings and autobiographical notes that Robert H. Jackson made before his death from a heart attack at the age of 62. Jackson worked for Roosevelt as Solicitor General and Attorney General before his appointment to the Supreme Court in 1941. Jackson was one of FDR's inner circle of acquaintances, someone he invited to lunch, poker games, and fishing trips, and these memoirs portray FDR from a series of different angles: as politician; as lawyer; as economist; as friend and sportsman; and as a leader. Jackson is no idolator. He is candid about Roosevelt's shortcoming while acknowledging his strengths. He is particularly effective in showing FDR's human sides and stresses his remarkable capacity for empathy, something sorely missed with our current President. The audiobook suffers greatly, however, from Mark Moseley's frequent mangling of names: Corcoran (CORK-run) comes out as "Cor-COR-un." Brandeis (BRAN-dice) comes out "BRANDY-iss." Lilienthal (LIL-ee-en-thal) comes out "Lil-ee-EN-thal." For what is otherwise a pleasant, professional narration, these mispronunciations come like a punch in the ear.